Bigger on the inside: Nexus 7 with more storage may arrive soon

A retailer may have leaked a Nexus 7 that can stand up to the Kindle Fire HD.

We may soon see a Google Nexus 7 that will compete with its tablet rivals on the storage front, according to an alleged screenshot of Carphone Warehouse's stock system posted at Droid-Life. Storage is one of the points where the Nexus 7 fails to match up to the recently released Kindle Fire HD, but it would step beyond the Nook HD's bracket with a storage bump to 16GB/32GB options.

The Nexus 7 launched with 8GB of storage in the base $199 model, upgradeable to 16GB for another $50. The Kindle Fire HD comes in 16GB and 32GB variations for $199 and $249 respectively, while the Nook HD will have 8GB for $199 and 16GB for $229. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a special point about the Kindle Fire HD's storage when he announced the device, stating that high-resolution content demands more space than the paltry 6GB available on the original Kindle Fire.

The Nexus 7 has the same screen resolution as the Kindle Fire HD (1280×800) so it stands to reason that it needs the same amount of storage. The Nook HD, which is set to arrive in November, beats both models at this stat with its 1440×900 display.

As with all electronics store stock-generated rumors, take this one with a grain of salt. But it's worth pointing out that the display also shows what could be an accessory for the successor to the flagship Galaxy Nexus—the Galaxy Nexus II.

Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston

34 Reader Comments

Would have loved to wait for the Galaxy Nexus 2 but then I didn't bother and bought the S3 instead. Sure its not stock android but honestly all Google Nexus phones are butt ugly and neutered. Not sure why they are doing it I suppose Samsung for example doesn't want to compete with itself.

When you look at the Galaxy Nexus: The camera sucks, its thick like a brick (sure the S3 is huge but at least its amazingly thin) and whoever had the idiotic idea with the curved screen. Looks like shit and makes it even bigger. Instead of cool, stylish flagship devices they are test platforms. And then they wonder that people don't buy them.

(I actually don;t think they mind. I suppose having unsexy phones that explore new technical areas like bigger screens, more RAM or on-screen buttons but are not really sold to the masses works well for their relationships with the big smartphone producers.)

No word against the Nexus7 that is actually an awesome tablet. For the price unbeatable.

I've been using a Nexus 7 since they came out, and I'm actually surprised how little the 8Gb limitation has bothered me. Streaming has pretty much ended my worries about on-device storage for media, and a few gigs are more than enough to hold all the apps & data I'd want.

My only real concern about the device is quality control. My first Nexus starting having digitizer issues, and the replacement they sent me had a blown speaker out of the box.

#3 is working fine, and I should give credit to Google's responsiveness: They answered the phone immediately when I called, and took care of the RMA process rapidly and with zero complaint. But it was frustrating to have to exchange two tablets in a row. Hopefully these were just teething issues, and QC will more even down the road.

There's a post on the linked article that states the Nexus 2 item has nothing to do with the supposedly forthcoming phone - it reads as follows:

Quote:

Hey guys, KCR here, I sent this screenshot to Droid-Life.The "Nexus 2" invisishield is our product code for the Nexus S screen protector. My guess is that it was listedon the system before the "Nexus S" name was known, when it was known that Samsung were making thesequel to the Nexus One.I perhaps should have said that in the original submission. Apologies!

When you look at the Galaxy Nexus: The camera sucks, its thick like a brick

The GNex is a brick now? Jesus.

JPan wrote:

Looks like shit and makes it even bigger. Instead of cool, stylish flagship devices they are test platforms.

Different strokes I guess. I find the S3 to be boring/ugly.

I can't say I agree with any of your points other than the fact that a Nexus device should be the benchmark device. The Nexus One and the Nexus 7 did this very well. I have yet to find an android tablet that feels as smooth and cohesive as the N7 running JB.

Got one for the kid as a birthday gift, holding my nose as I ponied up an extra $50 for $5 worth of flash. It's really a great device and more storage must be better. Still, I'd rather have a [micro-]SD card slot.

Would have loved to wait for the Galaxy Nexus 2 but then I didn't bother and bought the S3 instead. Sure its not stock android but honestly all Google Nexus phones are butt ugly and neutered. Not sure why they are doing it I suppose Samsung for example doesn't want to compete with itself.

When you look at the Galaxy Nexus: The camera sucks, its thick like a brick (sure the S3 is huge but at least its amazingly thin) and whoever had the idiotic idea with the curved screen. Looks like shit and makes it even bigger. Instead of cool, stylish flagship devices they are test platforms. And then they wonder that people don't buy them.

(I actually don;t think they mind. I suppose having unsexy phones that explore new technical areas like bigger screens, more RAM or on-screen buttons but are not really sold to the masses works well for their relationships with the big smartphone producers.)

No word against the Nexus7 that is actually an awesome tablet. For the price unbeatable.

I find your comment very biased. You buy Galaxy Nexus if you want vanilla Android experience with superior software support and decent hardware. Also, don't forget that the GN was released almost a year ago. The S3 is OK if you want highly modified Android that in the future will receive all of the updates at least six months after they've been released, but with better hardware.

It all depends on how you see the world. I have unlocked Galaxy Nexus that I've been using for more than six months now, and I've played with S3. Both phones are excellent, minus the differences between them, but they both have one serious flaw and that is battery life. All of the cons and pros of the phones become insignificant when you realize that your phone is going to drop dead and it's not even 6pm.

p.s. You really shouldn't judge a phone, by how much it costs to get it on contract. Think how much you have to pay if you want to buy the phones unlocked. Depending on your finances you immediately have a winner.

When you look at the Galaxy Nexus: The camera sucks, its thick like a brick (sure the S3 is huge but at least its amazingly thin) and whoever had the idiotic idea with the curved screen. Looks like shit and makes it even bigger. Instead of cool, stylish flagship devices they are test platforms. And then they wonder that people don't buy them.

Agreed on the camera, but "thick like a brick"? Really? Personally I think the S3 is fugly, and I like vanilla Android and the curved screen. Different strokes, I guess...

Baeocystin wrote:

I've been using a Nexus 7 since they came out, and I'm actually surprised how little the 8Gb limitation has bothered me. Streaming has pretty much ended my worries about on-device storage for media, and a few gigs are more than enough to hold all the apps & data I'd want.

Me too. Hasn't been an issue at all, so I'm glad I saved the $50. My only gripe is the washed-out screen; really wish they'd release a software update to fix the calibration.

rex86 wrote:

I have unlocked Galaxy Nexus that I've been using for more than six months now, and I've played with S3. Both phones are excellent, minus the differences between them, but they both have one serious flaw and that is battery life. All of the cons and pros of the phones become insignificant when you realize that your phone is going to drop dead and it's not even 6pm.

Are you using a CDMA version? I have the GSM version on AT&T (so no 4G), and I get great battery life.

This would be a nice replacement for my aging Xoom. I'd already have one, were it not for the lack of storage on the Nexus 7 (I like to keep the bulk of my media on the Xoom, and I'd sprung for a 32GB card).

That said, it would be nice to see a Nexus 10 and/or a Nexus 7 with either 64GB and/or a microSD slot. I'm becoming more enamoured with the 7" size, especially after spending more time with the BlackBerry PlayBook (although, admittedly, part of that is how much snappier the PlayBook is versus the Xoom, even with Jelly Bean; it really is amazing how much of a dog Android is versus contemporary hardware)

Would have loved to wait for the Galaxy Nexus 2 but then I didn't bother and bought the S3 instead. Sure its not stock android but honestly all Google Nexus phones are butt ugly and neutered. Not sure why they are doing it I suppose Samsung for example doesn't want to compete with itself.

When you look at the Galaxy Nexus: The camera sucks, its thick like a brick (sure the S3 is huge but at least its amazingly thin) and whoever had the idiotic idea with the curved screen. Looks like shit and makes it even bigger. Instead of cool, stylish flagship devices they are test platforms. And then they wonder that people don't buy them.

(I actually don;t think they mind. I suppose having unsexy phones that explore new technical areas like bigger screens, more RAM or on-screen buttons but are not really sold to the masses works well for their relationships with the big smartphone producers.)

Um...the Nexus is 8.94 mm thick, the S3 is 8.6 mm. What in the world are you talking about. Justify your purchase however you'd like, but don't make up lies.

To your other points: The curved screen is great. The front has absolutely no markings of any kind, just solid black. About as "sexy" as a phone gets. The on-screen buttons are not "exploring a new technical area," it's the direction Google is taking Android's UI, and for the better. The Menu key was always a confusing and poorly thought out idea, as was having to long-press to access a key UI function (recent apps), and Samsung decided to keep both of those concepts. And there is no doubt that Samsung's awful software far outweighs any hardware merits they may be able to achieve with their devices.

I've been using a Nexus 7 since they came out, and I'm actually surprised how little the 8Gb limitation has bothered me.

Since I use mine mostly for light web browsing and reading books the 8Gb isn't really a problem. But when there were some games up in the recent sale I looked at the memory requirement, saw 1.7Gb and had to pass - probably a good thing in terms of general productivity . USB OTG solves most of the problems in terms of backing up the device and carrying around media in case I ever want to watch a film on it.

sword_9mm wrote:

needs a micro sd slot.

If the $249 model had come with an SD slot instead of a measly extra 8Gb I'd probably have gone for it.

I've been using a Nexus 7 since they came out, and I'm actually surprised how little the 8Gb limitation has bothered me.

Since I use mine mostly for light web browsing and reading books the 8Gb isn't really a problem. But when there were some games up in the recent sale I looked at the memory requirement, saw 1.7Gb and had to pass - probably a good thing in terms of general productivity . USB OTG solves most of the problems in terms of backing up the device and carrying around media in case I ever want to watch a film on it.

sword_9mm wrote:

needs a micro sd slot.

If the $249 model had come with an SD slot instead of a measly extra 8Gb I'd probably have gone for it.

Never thought of it that way before, but i would have paid the extra too. though the 8GB hasn't been a huge problem, really.

If Apple/Google/Amazon want my Tablet $ they will have to offer an SD slot.

When my Nook HD+ arrives all my personal content moves from Tablet to HD+ on the SD card in a few seconds. I'm very private and don't want family photos, personal documents, etc. "in the cloud" - and re-locating and copying content from various places on my primary computer is a waste of time. The SD card lets me set up what I want then transfer from device to device in seconds w/ no thinking/hunting/etc.

If "marketing" is worried no one will pay the premium for more storage - I bought the larger HD+ because the markup, though high for the amount of flash, was not extortionate (are you listening Apple?). I'll reward a good product with a modest premium - but I'll also ignore an otherwise good product if I think the pricing strategy is a transparent rip-off.

The nook doesn't seem to get as many headlines, but I'm frankly shocked at seeing a bookseller producing cutting edge tablets that, for my $, beat the titans of tech - Amazon/Apple/Google. How about Ars looking into how B&N does it? Gotta be a really impressive story behind the Nook. While you're at it I'd like to know how they are going to keep MS from screwing up the success after the recent MS investment. Nook goes Win8 and I'm gone, SD card or not.

Nexus is 8.94 mm thick, the S3 is 8.6mm. What in the world are you talking about. Justify your purchase however you'd like, but don't make up lies.

Seriously? Samsung must have used some magic with the s3 because it feels much thinner and looks so much sleeker. Perhaps it is the godawful curved Form of the nexus. I had both in my hands and could have sworn its much bigger. Because I would have loved to get a nexus device but hated how the hardware looked. It's definitely not a sexy sleek flagship device you would want to have.

I've had the 16GB N7 for a couple months and have come to the conclusion that it lacks a killer app. It'd be a perfect interface for a mediacenter control (it could interface with my tv and home theater if Samsung didn't lock their software to Samsung devices).

I like the fact that you can get ALL of the apps on a Nexus 7 and not just certain ones like they do with the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. Why the hell should I have only certain apps from Amazon or Nook when Google gives you all of them on their system? Something to think about..

What was wrong with offering an SD card slot on the machine? Was it the expectation that users would expect the same sort of "experience" as using an iPad, as opposed to users who don't expect an Android phone to have the same approach to storage as an iPhone?

Have a 16-GB Nexus 7 and really like it. I use Backcountry Navigator with downloaded maps for wilderness travels in my Jeep. I could use more storage space. Might have to opt for a larger model if/when it comes out.

Nexus devices won't offer an external SD slot, probably ever going forward. Google makes back some money off the practically no-profit hardware this route. It did it with the Galaxy Nexus (which unlocked via Google Play is $350 I believe at this time - insanely cheap for the specs on that phone even though its nearly a year old, considering its unlocked/unsubsidized price).

Without an external SD slot Google is free to push their cloud service to consumers which can potentially help get some of their money back from the razor thin margins on actually selling the device. That's also the idea behind the $50 more for 8 GB of SD - obviously it doesn't cost $50, but it extends out that razor thin margin a bit, and even at $250 upon the release of the Nexus 7 there was utterly nothing that could still compete at that cost, so it was a relatively safe move for Google to play.

That being said - USB OTG works great. I have an 8 GB Nexus 7 and have never ran into issues, and I regularly have large nandroid files and ROM files on there as I use it for entertainment and as a developer device. Since I'm always at home there is lots of solutions to change files to and from my PC, and it can be very easy especially being in the same WIFI network. If I'm taking an extended trip and am really pushed for room I can throw a USB thumb drive in my bag and I instantly have another 32 GB of space. Not really a big deal, and to be honest in a way I like it more than the micros, its a lot harder to lose

I've had the 16GB N7 for a couple months and have come to the conclusion that it lacks a killer app. It'd be a perfect interface for a mediacenter control (it could interface with my tv and home theater if Samsung didn't lock their software to Samsung devices).

Please make my dream come true.

I do use my samsung gs2 phone and wife's LG 4x hd as a remote to my XBMC media center.....also I stream some content to as well from our phones

"If Apple/Google/Amazon want my Tablet $ they will have to offer an SD slot."

Apple's more or less proven that this doesn't matter. That said, Google did gimp the Nexus 7 by offering 8-16GB, whereas Apple's offerings start. 8GB is pretty cramped; I supposed if you're a Google employee on a Google campus this works, but for everyone else it's dicey. If you get a decent collection of apps you'll get appreciably near that level.

Now, offering a microSD slot instead of _any_ onboard storage, that would have been an interesting tack to take.

Nexus devices won't offer an external SD slot, probably ever going forward. Google makes back some money off the practically no-profit hardware this route. It did it with the Galaxy Nexus (which unlocked via Google Play is $350 I believe at this time - insanely cheap for the specs on that phone even though its nearly a year old, considering its unlocked/unsubsidized price).

Without an external SD slot Google is free to push their cloud service to consumers which can potentially help get some of their money back from the razor thin margins on actually selling the device. That's also the idea behind the $50 more for 8 GB of SD - obviously it doesn't cost $50, but it extends out that razor thin margin a bit, and even at $250 upon the release of the Nexus 7 there was utterly nothing that could still compete at that cost, so it was a relatively safe move for Google to play.

Their recent Motorola purchase aside, Google don't make any phone hardware themselves. Your entire first paragraph makes no sense. I agree that Google wants us to use the cloud, but it has nothing to do with hardware profits.